Artificial intelligence (AI) assisted cameras are now being deployed in France to enhance wildfire detection, according to Chief Sergeant Guillaume Millet of the CFDT union's Fire and Rescue Service branch in the Gironde. These cameras have replaced human look-outs in watch towers during summer months, particularly in the Gironde region.
The new system, installed by companies like Midgard and FireTracking, has significantly reduced false alarms by distinguishing between smoke and dust. FireTracking's CEO, Jean-Simon Chaudier, stated that the AI can detect fires up to 20km away and provides firefighters with immediate alerts on their phones, including real-time video with 40x zoom and maps showing the fire's exact location and predicted spread.
Chaudier highlighted the time-saving benefit, noting feedback from a firefighter that their AI detected seven fires 15 minutes before the first phone call. He explained that saving 15 minutes can be the difference between a catastrophe and a fire limited to a few hectares. FireTracking's cameras currently survey a million hectares, predominantly in France, with an investment of €1.2m in the Indre-et-Loire département covering 6,000 sq km.
While technology is advancing in detection, its role in extinguishing fires remains limited. Millet emphasised that despite advancements like planes dropping water or spraying fire retardants, it is still firefighters on the ground, pulling hoses, who ultimately put out the fires. Projects are underway to develop heavy-lifting drones for spraying water and drones that drop chemical grenades for autonomous first response, but these are not yet capable of tackling established wildfires.